Ever-changing technology

Thursday

Jan 17, 2013 at 11:13 AMJan 17, 2013 at 11:16 AM

With the ever-changing technology of today, something 10 years ago is now obsolete.

Bill Shrum, bshrum@stuttgartdailyleader.com

As most of you know, I am older. I am not as old as dirt that some people have told me. I have seen things that some people haven’t seen. The younger people have no idea what I am talking about, but some who have seen in history books know exactly what I am talking about. I have mentioned some of the things in my column over the years and this being a new year, I thought I would do it again.

With the ever-changing technology of today, something 10 years ago is now obsolete. I still have a flip cell phone. I know everyone of the youngsters over at Walmart snicker every time they see it. They say something like "my grandmother still has one of those." I just laugh and say that one of these days I will get me one of those smartphones.

I remember the first time I got a cell phone. It was when I was going to UALR in 1999 and I thought I was on top of the world. Calling my parents in Little Rock, as I drove toward them on the interstate or on Highway 165. It was an accomplishment that we only dreamed of as children. At Christmas time when we received Walkie-Talkies, we thought we were on top of the world.

My mother still loves to tell the story of my uncle, her brother, Kirby, who would love to read the comic strips and comic books. He told everyone that there were people who were eventually go into space, just like Buck Rogers. Of course, everyone thought he was crazy except my mother, but she was kind of smart because she just didn't tell everyone like he did.

Thirty years ago when I lived in Dallas, computers were just lifting out of the business world into offices. They were talking about making them being smaller and accessible for the common people. They were only talking then and I knew that it was going to revolutionize the world. I just didn't know the impact that the technology would have or how far that computer technology would go.

There was one thing I did know — the inventors had to come up a better way to store things other than that crazy floppy disc. They did and they came up with that CD.

However the computer is just like everything else, people have to realize that is a tool. We do have better communications with the computer, however some people would disagree with you. The people need to realize that it is a tool, it can't read for you, you have to do that, it only supplies the material.

Inventions are just that — it takes another person to come up with the marketing of that product. The Wright Brothers are credited with flying but it sat around for almost 15 years before someone found out that you could make money transporting freight with the flying bird. That is what happened with the other inventions also. It takes one smart person to find out what to do with it.

Steve Jobs had the brilliance of finding out how to marketing the software of those telephones and it is going to be very interesting if he conveyed any of that knowledge to anyone else before he died. I just wonder if the technology will stop with him, but surely there is someone who can take over. If there is not, then we will make due with what we have now. It was a lot better than what he had originally. There are some people who will argue with that.

So there you have it, things that change our lives for the better. Like I said some of the people will disagree, but on the whole our communications are very instant now compared to what they used to be. Inventions are made to make our lives healthier and more prosperous. That is what changes are all about. right? Still haven't convinced you yet?